Pump pull rod adjuster



March so, 1943. ULLUM I 2,315,152

PUMP PULL ROD ADJUSTER Filed 001;. 14, 1940 2 She etS-Sheet 1 March 30, 1943.

S. BULLUM PUMP PULL ROD ADJUSTER Filed- 0ct.- l4', 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 STEVE BuLu/M 1 NN Fm (m Patented Mar. 30, 1943 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE PUMP PULL ROD ADJUSTER Steve Bullum, Greggton, Tex.

Application October 14, 1940, Serial No. 361,115

7, Claims. (Cl. 74-586) t This invention relates to a pump pull rod adjuster.

In the production of oil from wells it is customary to connect a number of pumps to a central power through what is commonly known as pull rods which extend from the power to the various wells and are connected to the pump jacks of the wells.

It becomes necessary from time to time to adjust the length of the rods either to shorten or lengthen the same or while repairing broken rods.

It is an object of the present invention to equip each rod with an adjuster whereby this work may be quickly and efiiciently accomplished.

At times the well pump fails to produce liquid. The failure usually arises from one of three causes, a broken sucker rod, a loose standing valve or defective travelling valve mechanism such as defective, or worn, seats. If the standing valve becomes loose the pull rod may be slightly lengthened and the pump in the well then lowered to drive the standing valve back in place or if the pump sucker rod becomes broken the pull rod may be lengthened and this fact may be readily ascertained by the operation of the pump jack. If neither of these defects have occurred the well pump should then be pulled for the purpose of repairing the defects therein. The adjuster herein described has been found to be very useful for making these tests on the pump or sucker rod.

Another object of the invention is to provide in a device of the character described a novel type of pull rod jack which may be readily applied to the rod to increase or decrease the tension thereon and which may be readily removed therefrom.

With the above and other objects in view the invention has particular relation to certain novel features of construction, operation and arrangement of parts, examples of which are given in this specification and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 shows a side elevation showing the pump pull rod connected to the jack and with the adjuster applied thereto.

Figure 2 shows a cross-sectional View taken on the line 2-2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 shows an end view of the adjusting jack.

Figure 4 illustrates a side elevational view of another form of the pull rod jack.

Figure 5 shows an end view thereof.

Figure 6 shows a cross-sectional view taken on line 6-6 of Figure 7.

Figure '7 shows a plan view of the type of adjuster shown in Figure l.

Figure 8 shows a longitudinal, sectional view of the slip bowl, slips and jack showing the jack in released position, and

Figure 9 shows a side elevation of the bowl, slips and jack, partly in section, and shown in released position.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings whereinlike numerals of reference designate the same parts in each of the figures, the numeral I designates a pump pull rod adapted to be connected, at one end, to the power and at its other end to the pump jack 2 which is connected to the pump sucker rod 3. The pump jack may be of any conventional construction and th sucker rod 3 is vertically reciprocable by the jack and is connected to the pump in the well.

The adjuster includes the side rods 4, 4 secured to one end of which there is a clevis 5. The clevis is connected to the link 6 of the jack by means of a C-hook. The clevisis formed with the upper and lower plate-like clamp jaws 8 and 9 between which the corresponding ends of the rods 4 are fitted and said ends are secured between said jaws by the bolts l0, Ill. The other ends of the rods 4 are secured between the upper and lower clamp jaws l l and 12 which are clamped together by the clamp bolts l3, IS. The laws ll, I2 form a slip bowl which has an inwardly flared slip seat l5 to receive the outwardly tapering wedge shaped slips l6 which are fitted around the adjacent end of the pump pull red I. The slips it are normally held in engagement with said ,rod by a coil spring I! located within said bowl and interposed between the wide ends of the slips and a removable washer l8 removably secured within said bowl between the clamps H, l2 as more clearly shown in Figures 8 and 9.

A ring l9, shaped to surround the rod I, is anchored to the slip bowl by the side arms [9a, Na and is spaced a distance from the outer or small ends of the slips I6 for a purpose to be hereinafter stated.

By means of the construction above described the pump jack may be connected to the pull rod with the free end of the pull rod extended the required distance between the side rods 4, 4 to form a support for the adjusting jack presently to be described. This adjusting jack comprises a housing 20 having an axial bearing therethrough to receive the free end la of the pull rod. The housing 20, at one end, has the extended lugs 2|, 2| engageable against the upper side of the top clamp l I as shown in Figure '7 and is provided with the laterally extended lugs 22, 22 engageable underneath the side'rods 4 so as to limit movement of rod may pass.

the housing and so as to give a straight pull and so that the free end la of the pull rod will be relieved of any bending strain or stress during the operation of the adjusting jack. When the adjusting jack is to be operated it is adjusted into abutting relation with the slip bowl as shown in Figure 6 with its lugs 2| overlying the clamp II as shown in Figures 6 and '7.

As shown in Figure 8, the housing 20 there is a dog 23 having a diagonal bearing 24 therethrough to receive the end I a of the rod I. This dog is movable on said rod but is limited in its movement in one direction by a fixed stop 25. A coil spring 26 is interposed between said dog and an inside, annular shoulder 21 of the housing and normally tends to hold the dog 23 against the stop 25 and in released position, from the rod. 7

Pivotally mounted between the upstanding ears 28, 23 of the housing 20 is a hand operated lever 29 whose pivoted end is provided with a cam 39 .which works through a slot 3| in the top of the housing and is operable against the adjacent side of the dog 23. With the dog in its normal position as shown in Figure 6 the pump pull rod will slide freely through it. Whenthe lever 29 is actuated upwardly, in the direction ofwthe arrow indicated in Figure 8 the cam '30 willact against the dog 23 causing said dog to :tilt relative to the rod la and to engage said rodand exert a pull on it in the. direction also indicated by an arrow in' Figure 8' thus placing the spring 26 under compression. As the rod la is moved in the direction indicated in Figure '8 the slips l6 will release said rod also placing the spring I! under compression. Upon actuation of the lever 29 in the direction indicated in Figure 9 and to the position shown in Figure 6 the cam 30 will release the dog 23 but the spring F! Will act against the slips 16 so as to immediately cause said slips to engageand hold the rod and the spring 26 will cause thedog 23 to move along the rod until it engages and is stopped by the stop 25. When the lever 29 is again moved as indicated by the arrow in Figure 8 it will again cause the dog 23 to grip and move the rod. .Accordingly, by oscillating the lever 29 as indicated the rod may be pulled through the adjusting jack until the slack is taken up and the slips l6 will be maintained at all times in readiness. to grip and hold the rod against reverse movement.

. The rod may thus be placed under the required tension.

there is an adjustable stop embodying the housing 32 having a longitudinal bearing through which the rod extends. Within this housing there is a dog 33 having a diagonal'bearing 34 therethrough through which the end I'a of the The dog 33 has a-catch 35 projecting through an opening 36 in the housing and opposite said catch has a handle 3''! which projects through an opening 38 of the housing. A coil spring 39 is located within the housing and is interposed between the dog 33 and aninside, annular shoulder on the end of'thehousing toward the adjusting jack. Thisspringriormally acts against the dog so a's to ic'ause it to grip the rod Ia to preventthe detachment of the adjustable-stop from said rod. .By manipulating the handle 3? to bring'the axis "of the bearing,

3-! into coinciding relation with the axis of the rod la, said adjustablestopmayfbeadjusted toward or from the adjusting jack :as' desired.

Should it be desired to lengthen thee-pump .pull rod for any" reason :tlie adjustable stop the rod may be adjusted to the desired position on the rod la so that the distance between said adjustable stop and the adjusting jack will be the same as the distance it is desired to lengthen the pull rod. A U-shaped wedge 4| may then be driven between the ring l9 and the slips l6 as shown in Figure 9 and said slips thus driven inwardly relative to their seat l5 and thus released from With the lever 29 moved to inactive position, as shown in Figure 6, the dog 23 will also be released from said rod and the rod may then move through the adjusting jack and through the slips until the housing 32 of the adjustable stop engages the housing 20 of the adjustable jack. This adjustable stop prevents the complete detachment of the end I a of the pump pull rod during this adjusting of the pull rod to increase it eifective length. When it has been adjusted to the selected point of adjustment the wedge 41 may be removed and the slips l6 will them effectively engage and hold said rod.

When the necessary adjustments have been made the adjustable stop on the end lot of the rod may be removed therefrom in an obvious manner and the adjusting jack may also then be readily removed and these parts laid aside until again needed for making another adjustment.

Pump pull rods in the field are often several hundred feet in length. In operation they sometimes .part and new sections must be substituted for the brokenones. A special type of jack shown in Figures 4 and 5 has been provided for that purpose. This jack embodies a U-shaped .frame 42shaped to fit over and be supported by a section of the pull rod. The depending side bars of the frame have aligned slots 43 to receive a wedge 44 which may be driven therethrough against the underside of the rod I whereby the frame will be securely clamped to the rod. .The frame 42 has the spaced, upwardly extended, hooks 45, 45 which are spaced apart a sufificient distance to receive. the drum 46 between them. This drum isfixed on an axle 41 which. may be engaged by said hooks. One end of the .axle has the eye 48 to receive the operating rod 49 whereby the drum may be turned. Wound on the drum is a cable 50. A new section of the pull rod-as .ib may be substituted for the brokensection and attached to that portion of the pull rod extendingion to the well pump. The free end of the cable 50 may then be tied around the substituted section and the drum 46 then turned to wind up the cable and the sections of the pull rod may be pulled into abutting relation in the imanner indicated in .Figure 4 and clamped together by means of a suitable clamp 5| and the repairs thus accomplished.

In pulling these sections together it is desirable to release the slips l6 as indicated in Figure 9 so as to give the pull rod the required slack so that said separated sections maybe easily pulled together and after the repairs .have been made the wedge 4| may .be removed so as to permit .theidog 23 to again engage the rod and the adjusting jack may be manipulated as hereinabove explained to place the pump pull rod under the required tension.

Thedrawings and description are illustrative merely, while the broad principle of th invention will be-defined'by the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. A pump pull rod adjustercomprisinga-rod,

a rod clamp means thereon, means ,for attaching the clamp means to a pump jack, an adjusting jack pivoted on the clamp means and operative to adjust the rod through the clamp means.

2. A pump pull rod adjuster comprising a clamp means engageable with the rod and formed to allow the rod to move therethrough in one direction and to engag the rod to prevent movement of the rod therethrough in the other direction, means for attaching the clamp means to a pump jack, an adjusting jack mounted on, and arranged to cooperate with, the clamp means and operative to adjust the rod through the clamp means.

3. A pump pull rod fdjuster comprising a rod,

clamp means thereon, means for attaching the 1 clamp means to a pump jack, an adjusting jack pivoted on the clamp means and operative to adjust the rod through the clamp means, means for releasing the clamp means from the rod and a stop on the rod to prevent the separation of the rod from the adjuster upon release of the clamp means.

4. Adjusting equipment for a pump" pull rod comprising a slip bowl, slips therein engageable with the pull rod, means for attaching the bowl to a pump jack, an adjusting jack on the bowl arranged to cooperate with the bowl and rod to efiect adjustment of the rod through the bowl.

5. In a pump pull rod adjusting equipment, the combination with a pull rod, of a slip bowl, slips therein engageable with the pull rod, means for attaching the bowl to a pump jack, an adjusting jack pivoted on the bowl and arranged to cooperate with the bowl and rod to effect adjustment of the rod through the bowl, means for releasing the slips from the rod and a stop on the rod to prevent detachment of the rod from the adjusting equipment when the rod is released by the slips.

6. A pump pull rod adjusting equipment comprising in combination a rod, aslip bowl shaped to receive the rod, slips therein engageable with the rod and arranged to allow the adjustment 'of the rod through the bowl in one direction but to engage and prevent the adjustment of the rod through the bowl in the other-direction, means for attaching the bowl to a pump jack, an adjusting jack applicable to the rod and arranged to cooperate with the bowl and operative to adjust the rod through the bowl, means for releasing the slips from the rod and an adjustable stop on the rod to prevent the separation of the rod from the adjusting equipment upon release of said slip.

'7. A rod adjusting equipment comprising in combination a rod, a slip bowl shaped to receive the rod and having a tapering seat, slips in the bowl on the seat engageable with the rod, and arranged to move from the seat to allow the adjustment of the rod through the bowl in one direction, but to be contracted by the seat to engage the rod and prevent the adjusting of the rod through the bowl in the other direction, an adjustment jack applicable to the rod and arranged to cooperate with the bowl and operative to adjust the rod through the bowl, means for releasing the slips from the rod and an adjustable stop on the rod to prevent the separation of the rod from the adjusting equipment upon release of the slips.

STEVE BULLUM. 

